1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a deodorizing device for toilet bowls, and more specifically to a deodorizing device that is automatically triggered.
2. Description of the Related Art
The problem of deodorizing bathrooms and toilet bowls due to odors from a bowel movement has long existed. One solution is simply to manually spray deodorizer in the bathroom. Another solution is to keep deodorizing that works all the time in the bathroom.
Other solutions have been created that are intended to automatically deodorize in response to some event connected to going to the bathroom. For example, U.S. Patent Publication. No. 2004/0064884 to Egeresi teaches a toilet odor blocking system which applies soapy water and foam or chemical spray into the bowl upon the user's sitting on the toilet seat to block any odors from emanating from any waste. The bubbles for covering the human waste are guided through an embedded hose in the toilet seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,286 to Funk discloses an apparatus for manually delivering an odor reducing chemical to a toilet bowl comprising a remotely located pressurized source of odor reducing chemical, a valve communicatively connected to the pressurized source of odor reducing chemicals for selectively releasing odor reducing chemical from the pressurized source, a button located at a location remote from said pressurized source of odor reducing chemical for opening said valve when activated by a user, where the activating mechanism may be selectively activated one or more times by the user either before, after or while the user is seated. The device has a bracket for mounting on a toilet, and a spray nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,387,321 to McGill discloses a process for controlling toilet odors by use of compositions comprising a hypochlorite compound and a hydrogen peroxide compound. The compositions are useful for preventing, reducing and/or eliminating the odor emitting capacity of human or animal excrement in an aqueous solution. A conventional liquid-dispensing mechanism may be configured to automatically dispense an odor-reducing, -preventing or -eliminating amount of the active ingredients when a user sits on the seat of the toilet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,532 to Cain discloses a dispenser which fails to automatically dispense the deodorant, and instead requires the user to press a knob to spray the freshener into the toilet bowl. This invention is not practical for the fact that user can instead press the knob of the spray can and spray the deodorant into the bowl. Furthermore, Cain's invention has a very unhygienic way of delivering the spray mist into the bowl through a head placed on the bowl where it will accumulate with liquid and solid waste.
U.S. Patent Application 20040266638 to Requejo et al. discloses compositions and methods designed to manage toilet odor which comprise a fragrance and other compounds for reacting with substances that cause toilet malodor. Compositions are in a package and may be dispensed into conventional toilets, either before, during or after use
U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,237 to Baker discloses a new and improved toilet seat deodorizer apparatus which includes a flexible, resilient air pump assembly shaped substantially in the form of a toilet seat, a connector assembly for connecting the air pump assembly to a toilet bowl, and an odor dispenser assembly connected to the air pump assembly. The odor dispenser assembly includes a first screened end in direct communication with air contained within the flexible, resilient air pump assembly and includes a second screened end in direct communication with air which is outside the air pump assembly and the odor dispenser assembly. When a person sits upon the flexible, resilient air pump assembly, a quantity of air is pumped from inside the air pump assembly, through the odor dispenser assembly, to outside the odor dispenser assembly to room air in the room in which the toilet is located.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,525 to O'Brien teaches adding a few drops of an appropriate fluid mixture, such as a chlorinated hydrocarbon containing a small amount of a volatile fragrant fluid, to water in a toilet bowl prior to the use of the toilet. A unique property of the first fluid causes the resultant mixture to spread quickly over the entire surface of the water, forming a nonpermeable film across which the odor emanating from unflushed feces cannot pass. The second fluid quickly vaporizes from this film allowing the resulting concentrated fragrance to neutralize within the toilet bowl the flatulence odor produced during a bowel movement. A person sitting upon the toilet seat actuates a semiautomatic fluid dispenser.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,785,912 to Julio discloses a toilet seat with a mechanism to send ions into the bowl.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,563 to Helfet discloses a toilet deodorizer having a pump housing in the form of a cylinder and a piston. The cylinder is mounted on a toilet seat of a conventional toilet. When sitting on the toilet seat, the toilet seat moves downward which causes the piston to move within the cylinder which then causes dispersion of liquid from a pump chamber of the cylinder to a wide area of the toilet bowl. When the user gets up from the toilet seat, the toilets seat is lifted which causes retraction movement between the piston and the cylinder which causes a new quantity of liquid to be pulled through an inlet valve into the pump chamber, from a storage tank mounted on the side of the toilet's tank, while maintaining the outlet valve closed. This piston and cylinder structure is very complex, and requires a separate storage tank mounted to the toilet's tank.
What is needed is a spray that is automatic, compact, does not involve blowing air or power sources, does not offend the user, and acts at the source of the problem. Such a device should also be easy to mount, nonobtrusive, and spray only a desired amount.